Unstrung
by BellaRosa17
Summary: Emily after going to the Olympics and winning is now the bridal shop's assistant manager. Did I mention the bridal shop owner is Ronnie Cruz? But when she hears a suggestive song from the dressing room next door. Who's the singer? A few lemons inside.
1. Chapter 1

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I don't own any Make It or Break It characters. I'm seriously sad I don't.

**Chapter 1:**

"The new system seems to be working. So far, no glitches."

Emily Kmetko smiles in satisfaction, and was glad to hear that from her boss, Ronnie Cruz. The owner of Ronnie Cruz Bridal Salon. Honest to everything, she has been trying for months to get the woman to go electronic for a year now.

"The staff has made the transition to the input tablets without any problems." Emily informs her boss. The staff who only had one person that wasn't from the IPod generation were happy to throw away the pen and paper.

"One more week, and we should be able to forgo paper backup all together." Ronnie said.

Emily merely nodded. She didn't tell her boss that even though she still though we were still using the pen and paper and then entering the information into their units, but Emily had printed backups from the computer-not what Ronnie had in mind.

I've known Ronnie since I was 16. When I first got her, I met her and her daughter, Kaylie. Kaylie was also a gymnast. Ronnie is a divorcee from baseball player Alex Cruz. From what Kaylie has told me, her parents had somehow lost each other. Something changed in their relationship and I guess Ronnie couldn't take it anymore.

But nonetheless, where all these brides found these men were a mystery to Emily. She wasn't going to settle and she didn't have to worry. I was only 24 years old. She had plenty of time. But if you ask her, Ronnie needed to loosen up with Marty Walsh. The owner of the Tuxedo shop next door who's also her partner. That man had it so bad for her and the toe curling looks he gave her made me begrudge the lack of single men in Boulder.

Ronnie Cruz believed all about elegance and class. And to her nothing said class more than thick0white bridal paper she and her staff used to write up orders or "record selection".

Emily came up with the upscale theme. And she agreed that the tone of the bridal salon would influence the type of designers would allow their dresses to be sold there. But maintaining the appearance of class and sophistication is so important to Ronnie Cruz had become somewhat problematic. Emily didn't think the pay off was worth it though. The copier didn't like thick paper. So we had to duplicate all the order form because the paper was too thick to make multiple copies.

The extra steps had caused errors more than once. Ronnie caught most of the mistakes because she knew the designs and the stock number of the dress she carried. They should be doing so much more business that Ronnie couldn't remember them all.

What did Emily care about if Ronnie Cruz Bridal Salon go electronic? She cared because efficiency meant more stock turnover, more stock turnover meant more profit and more profit meant eventually, Ronnie Cruz, would need help. Emily, as a goal that she would provide, by ultimately become a partner.

Ronnie Cruz had the perfect set up here in Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Emily was the rarest of people for having moved here when she was a teen. To do gymnastic. I even went to the Olympics. My mom even got married. I'm happy she did. She finally found someone to have a life with. They even opened a restaurant/salon. My mom always had jobs working at salons so I think it's important that she opened her own. Most of the bride-to-be goes to her shop to get beautified, and most have their receptions at the restaurant.

I've always loved Boulder, the weather, the scenery and the artsy shops catering towards weekend tourists. This is where she wanted to live, and she wanted to support herself from her parents. I know weird that I think of my step dad as a dad but I do. He earned my trust. Working at the Pizza shack when I was a teenager was great when training for becoming an Olympic and after college but this is something I needed to do for me. I wanted to be able to develop a business of my own. The shop isn't mine but I was Ronnie's first employee and I immediately saw the potential.

"Did you verify that all the associates downloaded the information at the end of the day?" Ronnie asked as she always did.

"Yes." Emily replied, like she always did.

"Did you know we are dressing the entire Tanner wedding?" Ronnie asks.

"Even the mothers?" Emily had not known. Which is why she pushed for electronic efficiency.

"Even the grandmothers." Ronnie said with a triumphant smile. "They already made the selections. The whole wedding party will be wearing different shades of red. Ranging from touches of rose on the bridal gown to ruby for the grandmothers."

"That's so great." Emily said with full of enthusiasm. This is just the thing the salon needs. The salon needed more big-ticketed weddings like this. And a wedding party that was willing to coordinate was ever bridal designer's and salon's dream.

"Yes, it is." Ronnie says as she removes the scarf from her neck.

All the associated wore scarfs around there necks. Ronnie and only Ronnie wore a tie or a scarf.

"We will monitor the selections very closely and I'm counting on you to impress upon manufacturer how important this order is."

She reached for the collar of her jacket and unbuttoned the top button. And unbutton a second button, revealing a silver of skin.

She caught me staring. "Too much?"

"For....?"

"Marty is taking me out to dinner to celebrate."

Of course he is.

"We're going to S&C's Restaurant."

"Good choice. I think they're having a soft crab special tonight and there is this great wine that goes with it. I'll have them save a bottle for you."

"This isn't date. Marty and I will be discussing the vest and cravats for the men. Naturally, we'll want them to match."

Poor Marty.

Poor Ronnie.

"Wear the lace jacket." I say as I go back and grab the jacket from the sample rack. The pale lace jacket and brought it to her boss. "I found a flaw with the black lace, but I love it with your skin tone."

Ronnie took it and hesitated, Emily added. "Dinner at S&C's will be a great opportunity o showcase the jacket. Put it on and I'll go get the right jewelry."

I walk over to the display case, and take out the sparkling earrings and returned to the dressing area and wondering if she pushed her boss too far. But then she thought about Marty's lustful gazes. Those I-know-my-way-around-a-woman's-body gazes. I swear if a man looks at me like that I will pay attention.

Ronnie was tying the ribbon belt of the jacket when I returned with the earrings.

_Ohmygod. _I flipped on more lights so Ronnie could get the full effect in the mirror. I'm so ordering that jacket. It looked amazing on her skin. Sophisticated, yet sexy not slutty.

We both heard Marty at the door. "Hey, Ronnie, you ready for a hot time in the old town?"

"Marty." Ronnie says as she closed her eyes.

When she did this she didn't see what I saw. Marty looked her over and I can see his knuckles turn white as a sheet when he first saw her.

I am definitely buying that jacket for myself.

Marty swallowed. Ronnie was saying something as she hung up at blouse and suit jacket, grabbed her purse and gave Emily unnecessary instructions for closing up.

As Ronnie approach him, Marty's eyes took on a possessive intent. Make that possessive, lustful intent.

Kidding aside, Emily did want a man with that same fierce longing. She seen many grooms come through here and that's what she wanted. A mature, adult man who knew the give-and-take in marriage and was willing to make a commitment.

Marty was so willing, He put his hand on the small of Ronnie's jacket as he guided her to the front door. He glances back towards me and the corner of his mouth lifted. I gave him thumbs up, not my place I know but I don't care.

Smiling to myself, I locked the door and watched as they drove out of sight. Time to get to work!

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**A/N: I revised both chapters so its new and fresh. Sorry about not being able to update like I promised. But I will start doing it again. Chapter 3 should be up later. By readers. **

**Review Please!**

**XOXO, **

**BellaRosa**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own any Make It or Break It characters or the story. I'm seriously upset about that. **

**Chapter 2: **

I shut of the showroom lights, and already start to turn over the cost of that lace jacket with my employee discount. After inputting the the order on he unit, she verified that all the associates has downloaded their orders and then cross-checked with their appointments for the day.

Everything looked just as it should. Emily cleared out the individual ordering units and plugged them in to recharge them. In an hour or so, she'd be having a live chat with Yhing, her Chinese counterpart at the manufacturing plant. With the Tanner wedding, she had to make sure that the orders were put through together so that the dye lots matched.

She went to the back of the salon to the kitchen to put some coffee into her cup when she saw a bottle of champagne.

"Now we shouldn't serve our clients flat sparkling wine, now, should we?" Emily said to herself as she walked back to her desk to wait for Yhing to arrive at work for the day. It was a little weird an funny that Ronnie expected the finest of everything except champagne. Well, a excellent bottle of sparkling wine was better than cheap champagne any day. Except, this wasn't exactly an excellent sparkling wine. Either Ronnie needed to upgrade or Emily shouldn't be drinking champagne out of a coffee cup. Possibly both.

Emily goggled the rating for sparkling wine's, when s found this sweet Italian sparkling wine. She actually liked the idea of those. It seemed a more type of hipper class. Maybe they should invest into an espresso machine to cappuccino machine. Shopping for bridal and attendant gowns took a lot out of you, emotional and physical. Leaning back in her chair, computer on her lap. and propped her feet on the desk. That's why they call it a laptop, right?

I opened the chat interfaced and typed, _Yhing are you there? _

Several minutes went by. "Late. Yhing, you lazy thing. Did you have a late night last night?" I mummer aloud.

I know Ronnie was impressed that I was willing to work over time. But after a while I stared to enjoy "chatting" with Yhing. She was quite a character and we've become friends. Maybe even one day I'll even meet her.

Yhing? Where are you?" I typed. "Big deal. Mucho importante. Major money. Lots of red."

When Yhing finally signed on we went through each shade. After I went through each shade for her she wanted to make sure we had the right matches and she wanted me to get the fabric samples. Then she typed BBIAF.

BBIAF? What does that mean? She typed and asked that. But nothing. "BBIAF? What could that mean?" I ask out loud but again nothing happened. I didn't get a response.

"Be back in a few." A deep male voice said, which in turn made Emily jerk from her laptop. She hit her slang dictionary which knocked into her coffee cup filled with sparkling wine which ended knocking both onto her keyboard. The sparkling wine fizzled and sizzled on her laptop. The electronic death of the laptop when the screen flashed and went dark.

"No! I scream out in despair.

"I'm telling you it is. BBIAF mean 'be back in a few'." The voice of the male so deep and loud that she could've swore that he was standing beside her. He must be in the fitting room next door.

"I don't care." I shout to him.

I lift up my laptop and turn it to the side and shook the droplets of liquid and tried to reestablish a connection with Yhing.

Nothing. It was dead and gone. "No. No,no,no."

"I'm telling you it is." The voice says.

"I'm not even talking to you. Whoever you are. Go back to doing the cleaning or something." I snap.

"What happened?" He asks.

"You scared me so I knock my drink on my keyboard while I was talking to China."

"Bummer." Was his only reply.

Bummer? "It's more than a bummer." She said but wondered who she was even talking to. She knew the staff, but couldn't recognize the voice. Where was he? Emily stood up and walked toward the end of the dressing room. When she heard the soft singing

_I was having a drink  
__And talking to China  
__But I spilled my drink  
And everything stopped._

"This isn't funny." She says as she hears rustling. "Who the hell are you? Where the hell are you?" She asks swearing. And she never swore really. She made it a point not to when Ronnie started to fine for crude language. But sometimes it was called for. And this is one of those times. "You know about five seconds from punching this very thin wall and strangling you."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Well, you did."

"Sorry."

In spite of her anger, Emily couldn't help but feel his deep voice vibrate through the walls. The sounds making me feel it through my middle. Well, maybe even lower than her middle, but she wasn't going to admit it. She never really liked guys with big bass deep voices. And she didn't like the way his voice made her want to listen more and forget about her sparkling wine soaked keyboard-

Yhing. The wedding orders.

I scattered, leaving from the dressing room back to my laptop. I grabbed some fans and brought them to the laptop to hopeful make it functional again.

She was going to have to call Yhing. She knew it. She'd rather make an international phone call to Yhing because it'd be easier to make the call then for Yhing to call her. There was a chance that if she called she could get her to the phone. Depending all, on who answered, how well their English was, and how well my Chinese that Yhing had taught me. With a sick feeling she knew this couldn't end well. She saw the units recharging that the staff had recorded the orders but remembered that she erased them after she downloaded into my dead laptop. No backup on expensive paper. Plus she stopped Yhing from accessing the network because she wanted to talk about the reds first.

"I hate red." I say savagely.

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**A/N: Reupdated. I hope you guys like this since it is my first Make It or Break It story. I'll try to update as much as possible from now on. I started college and its been taking up most of my time but from now own I'll try to keep updating at least once a week or once every other week.**

**Review please! **

**XOXO, **

**BellaRosa**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own any Make It or Break It characters or the story. I'm seriously upset about that. **

**Chapter 3: **

"What did that poor color do to you?" came the voice from the dressing room.

"It's not what it did, it's what you did," she shouted. "And stop listening. Don't you have some to cleaning to do?"

Emily marched over to the wall in the dressing room and spoke next to the wall. "What are you doing?"

"Playing my guitar." He strums while he answers.

Emily didn't recognize the voice. She knows that she would remember that voice anywhere. "Are you a part of the cleaning crew?"

"Nope."

"Who _are_ you? Does anyone know you're in there?"

"You do." He chuckles still strumming his guitar.

"Give me a reason not to call the police." She did not have time for this.

"I can tell your not a poker player, are you? You should've told me that you already called the police. Now that I know I've got plenty of time to get away, or ever worse, come over there and tie you up….empty the till….steal a few wedding gowns…. I could come up with all sorts of _mischief_."

Emily felt no threat from him based on his voice, and well the fact that he used mischief. She knew she had no real experience with hard-core criminals, but she couldn't imagine them referring to illegal activity as "mischief". "Come on. Who are you?"

"You know Casper."

"Jasper?"

"He works here. I'm his cousin."

"You mean Jasper."

"I meant Casper. He hasn't been Jasper since his christening."

I can't believe Jasper had a cousin with a voice like his. "That still doesn't tell me what you're doing in the Tuxedo Shop after hours."

"It's quiet. I can work on my music without being bothered by anyone or anybody listening. Nobody's bothered me…until now."

"_I'm_ bothering _you_?" The nerve this guy had.

"You're pretty noisy over there."

"I—," She was seriously going to blow a blood vessel. She really was. "I _work_ here!"

"Which one are you? What do you look like?"

Oh, she did not have time to sit here and flirt with the deep voice through the dressing room wall that she only knew him as "Jasper's Cousin."

"I look like a very desperate assistant manager who lost the day's orders and if she can't fix it will be fired."

"Is that a blonde assistant manager?"

Men. "That would not."

"A brunette assistant manager?"

I looked at my hair. I dyed it a lighter brown years ago but my darker brown hair is still highlighted in my hair. "Mostly not." And with that, she steps out of the dressing room and into the office. He said something but she ignored it.

The computer was still dark, but the keyboard had dried. Yhing probably hadn't noticed that they'd lost connection since she was more than likely still gathering fabric samples.

She'd had to call Ronnie and tell her what happened. She sighed. Poor Marty. He had his hopes up, among other things, she'd bet, and he wasn't getting lucky tonight. What a waste of a perfectly fabulous lace jacket.

"Helloooooo," a deep voice called.

"Leave me alone." Emily shouted from the desk.

"I'm not gonna do that. You intrigue me."

Emily rolled her eyes and poked at the dead computer.

"Tell me you're not intrigued." His voice sounded closer, as if he moved to the other side of the dressing room.

"I'm not intrigued."

"If you weren't mad at me, would you be intrigued?"

"No."

She heard something brush against the carpet and then, "Golden brown."

The deep voice sounded in the doorway behind her, Emily jumped and hit her elbow against the edge of the desk.

She rubbed her elbow as he sang, "I dream of Jeannie with golden-brown hair….Your name wouldn't happen to be Jeannie, would it?

He grinned down at her, a living breathing, I'm-so-charming-and-I-know-it-rocker cliché. One by one, she mentally ticked off the type:

Short dark hair, cut with the top in a mohawk so it looked liked it was shaggy without looking like he's trying too hard— check. Bonus points for having baby blue eyes.

Stubble—check.

Devilish half smile—check.

Once sided dimple—check.

Blue eyes—check. Eyes had never really mattered to Emily but the blues eyes on him seems to fit him perfectly.

Ability to slouch attractively… She looked up at him lounging against the doorframe. An A+ slouch. Check.

Button-down shirt with cuffs rolled up— check.

Jeans worn carefully in all the right places— she'd given him a check even though she hadn't gotten a rear view because any guy who fit the type this exactly was bound to be wearing a pair that hugged his butt to his best advantage.

Broken-in boots— check.

Voice…here he didn't get a check because the template voice was usually a tenor. When he spoke, this man's surprisingly deep, bass pulsed all the way through her like vibrate setting on a bed in a cheap hotel.

Oh, and the attitude. He definitely had that I-can-be-reformed-by-the-right-woman attitude, accompanied by the care-to-try? twist to his mouth. Double and triple check.

As though, she was interesting in wasting her time reforming anyone. Besides, he wasn't her type, except she hadn't quite found anyone that was her type, and in the meantime parts of her were saying he would do and were acting accordingly.

Stupid parts.

"You said you were the assistant manager," he said. "That must make you Emily."

She braced herself against the unwanted vibrations from his voice and said nothing, although she never heard her name poured from a man's mouth quite like that.

"Pretty name for a pretty girl." He offered.

"You can do better than that."

"I can." He smiled his one dimpled-sided half smile. "But you haven't convinced me to try."

And she wouldn't. She had work to do. She had computers to dry and reds to order and Chinese phrases to figure out. And make no mistake, she was aware that she was alone, at night, in the back of a closed bridal salon with a strange man. Just because she wasn't getting any weird vibes—not the ones caused by his voice didn't count—didn't mean all was well. That's because I want you to leave, Jasper's Cousin."

"Call me Damon."

"How did you get in here, Damon?"

Holding up his hand he showed the dangled key. Both Tuxedo Shop and the bridal salon has the same key so that explained that. "How did you get the key?

"From Jasper."

"And does Jasper know you have his key?"

His smile faltered for the first time. He straightened, "Yes." He held her gaze until something in her eyes told him she believed him.

Nodding to the computer propped next to the fan, he said, "Good luck with that." And left.

Just left. Exactly what she wanted him to do.

She turned off the fan and was able to hear him lock the front door and thought about to see if he'd actually gone out before locking it. But instinct stopped her. Instinct told her that she didn't have to worry about him. Even though, instinct wasn't a reason to go off of but the way he held her gaze and looked hurt the she'd implied that he stole Jasper's key worked for her.

A moment later, she heard Damon in the Tuxedo Shop dressing room and that was that.

Except that wasn't that. In spite of herself, she strained to hear what he was up to instead of concentrating on her computer disaster.

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**A/N: I finally updated chapter 3. I finally writed the next chapter and I am happy with myself. I'll try to update as much as possible from now on. I started college and its been taking up most of my time with homework and projects but from now own I'll try to keep updating at least once a week or once every other week.**

**Review please! **

**XOXO, **

**BellaRosa**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own any Make It or Break It characters or the story. I'm seriously upset about that. **

**Chapter 4: **

Damon Young unrolled his sleeping bag on the padded bench in the sitting room. Going next door to see what Emily looked like was a bad idea.

Bad because he liked what he saw. Bad, because she did, too. Bad because she wasn't going to admit it. Bad, because he was going to make her admit it.

Yeah, he was. Assistant Manager Emily had issued a challenge with her I'm-all-about-my-work attitude and her you-don't-do-it-for-me expression. It had been a long time since Damon had encountered a challenge. He felt like accepting. And Emily of her pale skin, the slicked-back pony tail, and buttoned-up shirt all sales associates wore was definitely a heck of a challenge.

Damon had used his best stuff on her, too. Little songs—woman had fainted over his little songs—the smile, the drawl —none of it had worked. 'Course, she was mad about her computer being fried, but Damon realized his best stuff wouldn't have work anyway. Either he was rusty, which was a real possibility, or she'd convinced herself that men were a distraction from her career. Possibly both.

He lay back on the sleeping bag and crossed his arms behind his head. When he first seen Ronnie Cruz, the owner of the bridal salon, he thought that she was so tightly wound that when she finally did spring loose, he hear the twang wherever he's happened to be at the time. And her assistant, Emily was trying to be just like her. That was just wrong.

Because he was spending nights here, he'd overhead them talking the past few days, long after the place closed down and regular folks had gone home to their families. He'd learned that the wedding-dress business was deadly serious, when he figured it was all smiles and giggles and happiness. That seemed wrong, too.

There had to be a song in there somewhere.

Most of his music inspiration came from him traveling all around the country. Working odd jobs when he wasn't on tour and observing the people around him. It kept him grounded. He'd spend a day or two or maybe a coupe of months, depending on whether he was recognized or not. Didn't really have a timetable, except he was due back in Los Angeles next week to work on his new CD. Since he had a relative who lived in Boulder, so much the better. Since his performances were during the holidays, he liked connecting with family when he could.

He never slept in a dressing room before. It was becoming one of his favorites. He could work on his music without disturbing Jasper in his apartment and he could listen to the women talk.

Damon liked women, but contrary to his ladies'-man image, he kept away from the groupies and singing hopefuls who wanted to latch onto him. That didn't mean he wasn't tempted but he learned early in his career that one-night stand left him hollow and broody. Women were to caught up on D. Young the singer, and not Damon Young, the man. To be honest, part of Emily's appeal was that she not only didn't recognize him, it didn't matter if she did. She wasn't the dazzled type. She also wasn't the type to pull stakes and follow him to Los Angeles thinking he had more to time to give to a relationship he really did.

Which made her just about perfect.

Shoot, he wished he had more time here but he had to work with the time he had.

Emily was one determined woman. Damon had listened to her spend the better part of an hour working her way through a frustrated maze of people to reach her contact, only to discover that her contact had been waiting at the main switch board ever since she discovered they'd lost the computer connection. He definitely loved a determined woman. Especially, one that was about to bust full of frustration.

Genrally, he preferred that a woman was about to bust from another kind of frustration, but until then, he enjoyed he enjoyed hearing Emily talk sweet as anything and then cuss like a cartoon sailor when she was on hold.

Most of the things she said could become a song title. He's keeping a list.

"Lilly of the valley." Emily's voice can be heard coming from the other side of the dressing room.

That's a new one. On his laptop, Damon had switched from his music-notation program to word- processing file and added "lily of the valley" to such expletives as "dreamsicle" and "fudgesicle". She said "fudgesicle"

Apparently, they got all the orders together because I heard her sigh in relief.

"Of course, I like you. I was just saying that if you ever disagreed with me feel free to say so."

Silience.

"Actually, I didn't mean right _now_."

Damon laughed. He tried to stop it but it ended with a muffled snort.

"Zhin. I've got to go."

Shit. She heard him.

"I'll let Ms. Cruz know that we'll have to recreate the orders. I'll e-mail you when I'm up and running."

He flinched as Emily's voice sounded right next to his ear. "I hope you're enjoying yourself." Then she walked away.

Moments later, he heard the salon door open and close.

He couldn't help himself. Damon leaped up and hurried outside to follow her. He didn't have to go far.

A very furious Emily stood standing outside the shop's door, cell phone press to her ear. "Do you mind? This conversation is going to be bad enough without you listen— Ronnie? Sorry to bother you." Emily angrily waved him back into the shop before pressing a finger to her mouth.

Damon shook his head, and made a cutting motion over his throat. He didn't want her to ruin Marty's night. Damon saw the way Marty looked at Ronnie, and the expensive suit he wore this evening was any indication he had serious intentions.

"Don't say anything." He mouthed to Emily.

After glaring at him, she turned.

EmilyPOV

After watching Ronnie Cruz give her every order of the day, from the person who ordered it to the sizes, she ducked out of here. She left. As in left the shop.

Either her boss was having a nervous breakdown or…

No, her boss was having a nervous breakdown and she let her walk out of the salon.

She ran out in time enough to see Ronnie get into her car. Wait a minute. That's Marty's truck. And Marty wasn't inside the truck. And Holy Goddess, Ronnie peeled out of the parking lot with an audible screech of the tires.

"Well, that looks promising." Damon's voice says, standing at the entrance of the Tuxedo shop. "So, how'd it go?"

"Didn't you hear?"

"Didn't hear much. Couldn't see anything."

She gave him a sarcastic look. "I'm surprised you haven't drilled a peephole."

"Y'all would have seen it."

Ten mintues later, Emily didn't know when or how she even let him convince her to let him into the Bridal's salons office. He's sitting in the des chair, the only chair. He sets his laptop on top of the desk and takes out his hard drive.

"Um, are you some kind of computer geek?"

"Do I look like a computer geek?"

"Are you trying to?"

"Not very hard."

"Good job."

His dimples appealed. "I know a little bit about computer."

"I think, I'll wait for someone who knows a lot about computers."

"Just hand me a screwdriver." I begrudgingly walk over and hand him a screwdriver. Damon began opening the salon's laptop. "You are excitable." He states.

"Only when there's a reason to get excited."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Please don't. Work is exciting enough."

"It's worst than I thought." He shakes his head.

"What the computer?" I ask looking over his shoulder.

"No, you. Work is exciting enough?" He looked pained. "Selling wedding dresses is exciting you've sworn off men? Do you not see the irony?"

"Not really."

"So to be clear, you're not attracted to me?"

That was blunt. "No." I answered. The real answer was I wasn't going to let myself be attracted to him. I wasn't going to act on the attraction.

Damon grinned. "Fair warning—I'm going to change your mind."

"Don't bother really."

"It's no bother. Really"

"How do you know so much about computers anyway?"

"Since I spend a lot of time on the road, I've had to learn because there isn't much time to leave my laptop at a repair shop."

"Are you a salesman or something?" I asked curiously.

"I suppose I am."

Once Damon finished installing the hard drive, he said, "Cross you fingers," and booted up his computer.

Emily didn't dare to breathe. He gestured towards the keyboard and she opened the connection to Yhing.

"Everything is there." Emily went dizzy with relief. She immediately e-mailed Yhing .

WOO HOO, came right back and a sounding chime sounded as Yhing accessed the network and the orders. Emily stared at the icon indicating Yhing had signed onto the network until it sounded with a tone and blinked off.

She leaned over the keyboard and typed, Got everything?

Yes.

Her knees actually went weak. "It worked. You actually made it work." Emily said to Damon and said goodbye to Yhing.

At his silence, she realized that her breast were just inches in his face. She tried to pretend as if she didn't know that her breast were just inches away from his face and logged out of the network.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." She straightened. "I'm so relieved and so grateful I could just—"

"Kiss me."

The words hung in the air. "I was going to say burst."

"Let's go with kiss."

Before Emily could protest, Damon hooked his arm around her waist and tugged her into his lap, using a precise maneuver with the chair to buckle her knees. Scooping her hair away from her nape and cradled her head with one hand and pulled her against him with the other.

And then he kissed her.

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**A/N: I finally updated chapter 4 for you guys. I finally written the next chapter and I am happy with it. I know I said it before but college is really kicking my ass and its becoming harder for me to write out my chapters, because of my homework load. I promise to have the next chapter up before thanksgiving. Bye, see you next chapter.  
**

**Review please! **

**XOXO, **

**BellaRosa**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own any Make It or Break It characters or the story. I'm seriously upset about that. **

**Chapter 5: **

For all its seeming spontaneity, it was a crafty, well-thought out move, probably plotted while her breast dangled in his face.

Damon's mouth met hers with confident intent shifted in a series of erotic pulses —she was going to remember that trick—and settled at the perfect angle.

The. Perfect. Angle.

He was in complete control because she certainly wasn't doing anything to help things along. Frankly, this guy needed no help, so she might as well enjoy the trip.

Emily consciously relaxed enough to let him know she wasn't going to push away in outrage but not enough to let him know full steam ahead, either. A girl had to have some standards, even if they were negotiable.

He rewarded her by taking her lower lip in his mouth sucking gently as he ran his tongue back and forth against it. Every nerve in her lip woke up. "Helllllooooo," they purred. She relaxed a little bit more aware she had slipped backward enough so instead of her leaning over him like when he's first kissed her they were on a nose-to- nose level.

Her reward, as she expected, was the awakening of her upper lip.

He lifted his mouth from hers and she felt a tinge of panic that the kiss was over. Panic, because she might just beg for more and that was never good.

"You taste like cookies and wine," he mummers. "Sweet with a little sin mixed in."

Her eyes drifted shut. Oh, she let herself think of a few sinful thoughts. She opened her eyes. "You're thinking about how to work that into a song aren't you?"

"Trying real hard not to." His eyes creased.

"Try harder." Emily said, as she instinctively ground her hips into his groin.

His mouth, creased into a slow grin as he settled her more firmly against him. "I think _harder_ is the operative word."

Indeed.

Emily sighed.

He parted her newly sensitized lips with open mouthed kisses that had her melting. Emily was not the melting type. Or so she'd thought. Maybe, Damon was the first man to find her melting points.

She's never been kissed like this. Even worse, he made her afraid that she'd never be kissed like this again.

Her body continued melting until she resembled a puddle of discarded satin. Emily slid lower in his arms. Sort of, kind of, okay, melting against him so she had as much if her body in contact with his as possible.

Through slitted eyes, she saw Damon's face above hers, his eyes closed, totally in the moment. Sometime she caught the expression of guys watching her, gauging whether she was ready for second base. A sure mood killer. But the expression she absolutely loathed was the one of painful concentration, as though they got some tips out of some kissing manual and were trying to remember the steps.

But she had never seen a man reveling in the kiss before. Damon was clearly enjoying himself, but he wasn't lost in the moment, not completely. He wasn't lost because he wanted to remain aware of her feelings, specifically whether she was ready to stop or not.

And she knew this because….?

Because Emily Kmetko was being kissed by a man, just the way she wanted to be. And she liked it. A lot. More than she should, because kissing was about more than technique, even superb technique. She just couldn't remember what else right now.

What would his face look like if he were totally lost in the moment? She would never know because than she would have other things to think about besides his expression. Except she wouldn't be thinking. She'd be feeling. And she shouldn't be thinking now. Why couldn't she lose herself in the moment instead of distracting herself by overanalyzing the kiss? Wondering where it was going instead of just enjoying it all on its own?

Abruptly, Emily places her hands — which she was sorry to note had only been gripping the chair arms—on either side of Damon's head. His black-tipped eyelashes swept upward. Emily Kmetko looked this man in his blue, blue eyes and smiled.

And then she kissed him.

For the next several minutes, Emily Kmetko channeled her inner woman. Which should've been effortless. It wasn't which said something that she'd examine later. Instead she decided to return the favor of awaken-the-lips favor and started to explore. Learning his taste, what made him hum. Especially what made him hum because that sent vibrations over her tongue merrily along the way to those parts of her that appreciated vibrations the most.

Emily knew it was time to break the kiss when she became interested in taking her tongue out if the equation and apply his humming to other parts of her.

So, trying to hide her reluctance, Emily retrieved her hands from where they'd been wandering along his lean muscled arms. Slowly, she gentled her kisses, pleased when he responded in kind.

They stared at one another and then Emily said, "Damon, it's time to put your hard drive back into your machine."

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**A/N: I finally updated chapter 6 for you guys. I'm sorry its been so long since I've updated. College is ok, except for the crazy essays do every other week. Which I have to say is kicking my ass. But anyway again I'm sorry for being away for so long and I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than usual. I promise the next one will be longer. Check you on the next chappie.  
**

**Review please! **

**XOXO, **

**BellaRosa**


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